Skip to main content

Hackers take control of robovacs and use them to yell slurs

The T10 mopping a floor.
Ecovacs

The machines might one day rise against us, but for now, it’s probably just a bored teenager. ABC News reported that Ecovacs Deebot X2 owners in multiple cities were victims of a cyberattack that resulted in someone taking control of their robot vacuums to yell hateful language at families and harass animals.

The hacks took place in May of this year in El Paso, Texas, Los Angeles, and Minnesota. When ABC spoke with Daniel Swenson, one of those affected, he said that a staticky sound erupted from his robovac. He said it sounded like a “broken-up radio signal,” but that snippets of a voice could be heard. After resetting the device, the voice came back again and sounded like a teenager yelling racial slurs. Rather than reset the robovac again, Swenson turned it off.

Recommended Videos

The incident created concern that the hackers might be trying to gain access to multiple smart home devices, but Ecovacs confirmed a security breach on its end. For now, it seems, the attack on the robovacs isn’t related to a larger-scale scheme. The company provided a statement to ABC laying out the details of the attack. It said a “credential-stuffing event” was detected, all originating from one IP address in an “unusual” location.

The Deebot T10 Omni maneuvering under a piece of furniture.
Ecovacs

Unfortunately, that likely means the attacker was spoofing their IP address so they couldn’t be detected. If this attack was a prank, well, it’s likely to happen again. The measures Ecovacs took are a temporary solution at best. Security researchers had attempted to reach out to Ecovacs in the past to address potential security concerns.

While disruptive, this attack had the potential to be much worse. Many robot vacuums come equipped with cameras that hackers can use to look inside homes without alerting the homeowner that their privacy has been violated. For parents, this is a point of particular concern surrounding children. Ultimately, it seems like a known security flaw was to blame, but you can take proactive measures to reduce the chances that something like this might happen to you.

Make sure your smart home devices are always fully up to date, and enable automatic updates if possible.

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
This smart water bottle is more useful than I expected
The Water.io water bottle on a tble.

Smart water bottles never seemed like a necessity to me. Instead, I assumed they were overpriced gadgets that didn’t do enough to warrant their price tags. But after checking out the Water.io smart water bottle, I'm starting to change my tune. Let me be clear -- I still don’t think everyone needs to rush out and buy a smart water bottle. However, if you’re a fitness enthusiast or trying to cut back on your soft drink consumption, they might be a good fit.
Just smart enough

Though they may be called a smart water bottles, most of these products don’t actually sync with smart home platforms like Google Home and Apple Home. Instead, they’re “smart” by way of a mobile app. That holds true for the Water.io water bottle. It’s in the app that you’ll enter information such as your height and weight, allowing the water bottle to set a target hydration goal for you. With that done, setting up the Water.io is largely complete.

Read more
Roborock Qrevo Curv vs. Roborock Qrevo Edge: What’s the difference?
The Roborock Qrevo Edge on hard floors.

Roborock recently revealed a flurry of products, including the premium Qrevo Curv and Qrevo Edge. Both are designed as high-end solutions to all your floor-cleaning needs. Whether it’s vacuuming carpets or mopping tile, these versatile robots can handle just about any task you throw at them. However, the two are eerily similar, and it’s not readily apparent what’s unique about the Curv and Edge.

Trying to figure out which model is best for you? As it turns out, you can’t go wrong with either, because they’re essentially the same thing. Here’s a closer look at the Roborock Qrevo Curv and Qrevo Edge to help you understand what they can bring to your home.
Pricing and design

Read more
Ecovacs launches two budget-friendly robot vacuums
The Ecovacs in its docking station.

Ecovacs is responsible for some of our favorite robot vacuums -- but they often carry prices well over $1,000, making them incredibly niche products. The company is now looking to dive deeper into the entry-level market with the Ecovacs Deebot N30 Omni, N20 Pro Plus, and N20 Pro. All three are now available, and they carry much more reasonable price tags while still packing in some cool functionality.

The Deebot N30 Omni is the most expensive of the trio at $800, and it serves more as an upgraded midrange pick than a true entry-level robot vacuum. It's still remarkably more affordable than the Deebot X2 Combo, which retails for $1,600.

Read more